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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · pound · cell · roll · last · fine · saw · press

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cell — in biology
  4. press — newspapers
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. roll — a cake
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. roll — a list
  18. press — to push
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. last — finally
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com